Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory, founded by 19th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham, that states that the best action is one that benefits the greatest amount of people. Unlike egoism, utilitarianism considers all interests equally, promoting the well-being of society before the well-being of a selfish person. Bentham and John Stuart Mill championed the cause, while the socialist philosopher and economist Karl Marx criticized utilitarianism for claiming that shopkeepers were "normal" people and for "making short work" of human nature and its transition towards adhering to utilitarianism.